A lithium battery bank in a man’s pocket caught fire at Melbourne International Airport, burning his fingers and leg. The man, who is in his 50s, was in the Qantas business lounge on Thursday morning when the overheated power bank caught fire, causing smoke to fill the exclusive space and forcing roughly 150 people to leave.
Before paramedics could arrive to address the man’s injuries, staff promptly assisted him in taking a shower. After being brought to the hospital in a stable state, he was eventually discharged.
A witness reported seeing “battery acid flying everywhere,” the Age newspaper reported. The lounge was cleaned and reopened two hours later, according to a Qantas representative.
Leanne Tonkes, an Australian film producer, heard the disturbance on Thursday morning when she was in the lounge. Shortly after it detonated, she shared a picture of the burned power bank.
Some quick thinking from the man who stepped in to help and the others who got him in the shower and everyone others out of the lounge. Qantas is likely to issue an update soon after examining its policy about passengers carrying any kind of lithium batteries, including portable power banks.
Nowadays, a lot of airlines encourage travelers who have power banks to keep them close at hand, either in their seat pocket or in a bag under the seat in front of them, rather than in the overhead luggage area.
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